Drop When You Shop
by CheerfulChemist
Summary: Kate goes trousseau shopping with Meredith and finds a body in a changing booth. Suspects are alumni of a special high school. Follows my other AU stories in that Pi is dead and Martha is out of the loft. Otherwise canon, taking place after Dressed to Kill. I own nothing! Follow me on Twitter @CheerfulChemist
1. Chapter 1

Drop When You Shop

Chapter 1

"Meredith," Kate said exasperatedly, "there aren't even any free try-on booths. I think we've bought enough stuff."

"Nonsense!" Meredith replied. "You'll drive Rick crazy in that. Look at the feet of that woman. She's just sitting in there. Hello! There are people waiting out here!"

Kate watched as the feet slid forward, followed by legs and a torso. "Ma'am, are you all right?" she called. Hearing no answer, Kate pushed the curtain aside. The fur clad body of a sixtyish woman lay on the floor. Kate felt for a pulse.

"Oh my God, is she dead?" Meredith asked.

Kate nodded and pulled out her phone.

Castle arrived at the scene and approached the body. "I've heard of shop 'til you drop," he said, "but this is ridiculous."

Lanie rose from where she knelt at the victim's side. "She didn't drop from shopping, Castle. She was strangled, with the belt from her fur coat."

"The ultimate statement on animal rights," Castle quipped as Kate shook her head. "To soon?"

"What's the TOD, Lanie?" Kate asked.

"It hasn't been long," Lanie responded, "I'd say she hasn't been dead much more than an hour, maybe less. When did you find her?"

"Around nine thirty. I was finishing a shopping trip with Meredith."

Castle's eyes widened as his jaw dropped. With a hand on Beckett's arm, he quickly guided her to an empty corner. "You were shopping with Meredith?" he asked in horror.

"Why not, Castle? She came to town to audition for a play and called me. She said she'd help me find some things to really turn you on for our honeymoon, as sort of an engagement present. Since you found sex with her 'unbelievable,' I thought I might take her up on it."

Castle palmed his face. "Kate, when I said that it was long before we ever... Believe me, you don't need any pointers from Meredith."

"I know that, Kitten," Kate said with a sly smile. Bringing her lips close to Castle's ear she whispered, "but I'm always open to suggestions."

"Beckett," Ryan called. "No one remembers seeing anything, unless you want to hear about the clothes. They were all too busy shopping."

"Yeah, well, there were post Valentine's fifty percent markdowns," Beckett said. "That can be pretty distracting. Check store surveillance, maybe something will turn up."

Esposito joined Ryan. "Unis found a purse in the trashcan outside the store. No money or credit cards but her license was still in it. Her name is Ellie Konic. She's from Teaneck New Jersey.

* * *

><p>Castle followed Beckett's lead and for once was silent while she sat and listened. "Ellie and I are both from New York but we met in Israel," Danny Konic told her. "Isn't that strange? We both decided to go at the same time. It's as if our brains were on the same frequency. We've been married for thirty years. I can't believe she's gone."<p>

"Dr. Konic, why was your wife in New York tonight?" Beckett asked, as gently as she could.

"Ellie went to the Bronx High School of Science. There's a group of alumni that have an email list. Some of them get together for dinner every month. She doesn't go often, but tonight she had another alum, Susan Goldstein, an old friend coming in from out of town. She went to the dinner to see her. There's a special kind of bond that people who went to the special high schools have."

"I know," Beckett told him. "I went to Stuyvesant, same test as Science."

"Then you do know, "Konic agreed. "I was expecting Ellie to be late. There's a guy who goes to those dinners, an old boyfriend of Ellie's actually. He has a disability and she gives him a ride when she's there."

"Do you have contact information for him?" Beckett asked.

Konic pulled a volume from a nearby bookcase. "This is a directory of all the alumni in Ellie's class. His name is Mel Rosenblum. You should probably get in touch with Sam Spersky. He administers the list. He could probably tell you more about who was at the dinner. Everyone confirms by email and there's a digest."

"Do you know where Susan Goldstein is staying?" Castle asked.

"I'm not sure. I think Ellie might have said she was at a Sheraton."

Beckett stood and Castle again followed her lead. "Dr. Konic, again, I'm sorry for your loss," Beckett said, handing him her card. "If you think of anything, please call me."

* * *

><p>It was two A.M. By the time Kate and Castle returned to the loft. Kate piled the bags with the purchases she had made so many hours earlier in a corner of the room, and sat on the foot of the bed staring at the sea shells on the wall.<p>

"Not sleepy?" Castle asked.

"Just thinking," Kate answered, "about how things happen."

"Ellie and Danny Konic grew up in the city but never would have met if they hadn't gone to Israel. She decides to go to dinner with friends and is murdered. You and I both grew up in the city but we never would have gotten together if Alison Tisdale's brother hadn't tried to stage his murders to look like your books. From one minute to another, you never know what's going to happen."

"It sounds like you're trying to make a point," Castle said.

"It's that I don't want to get caught up in what Meredith thinks about lingerie or about place cards or the design of the wedding cake. After the years it took us to get this far, after everything we've been through, I just want to be with you, as much as we can for as long as we can."

Castle took her hand as he sat beside her and caressed her cheek. "You'll get no argument from me."

They should have been tired, but fatigue fled. Kate ran her fingers lightly over Castle's lips. Then as she framed his face with her hands, the love in her eyes was reflected in the deep blue of his. They came together slowly, first with a touch of noses, then a tentative meeting of lips. Castle drew Kate to him, needing the warmth of her body against his own. The warmth grew to a mantle of heat that surrounded them, melding them together. They were one, as they moved to the passion that overcame them, until it released in a cooling flood and Kate found her rest in Castle's arms.

"Rick, I want to marry you," Kate whispered as her head rested against his broad chest.

Castle drew her hand to his lips and folded her fingers over a kiss pressed into her palm. "I want to marry you too.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Castle and Beckett met Susan Goldstein at her hotel at nine A.M. "I am so sorry about Ellie," Susan told them "We had a great time in school and we've been in touch from time to time since. She's had more than her share of tsuris."

"What kind of trouble did she have?" Castle asked.

"Medical problems, problems with her kids," Susan answered. "I don't think she would have appreciated me going into details."

"Did she have a problem with another person, maybe someone at the dinner last night?" Beckett inquired.

"I don't know if you'd call it a problem. Ellie used to date Mel Rosenblum. They started at Science, our high school, and then they ended up at the same college and saw each other for a while. When Mel got sick, he reached out to her. He kind of followed her around. Sometimes he visited her in New Jersey. He might still have had a thing for her or just be lonely. He attached himself to me a bit too. We got into some political discussions online and the next thing I knew he was calling me at my lab and talking to me for an hour and a half. I had to discourage him because it was interfering with my work. At dinner last night he came to sit with both of us before he left with Ellie. She said she was going to do some quick shopping and then take him home."

"What brings you to New York, Ms. Goldstein?" Beckett asked.

"I was invited to do a presentation at an innovation symposium. It was right down the street from the hotel. You can check. There were a thousand people in the audience and there's video."

"What did you do after dinner?" Beckett continued.

"I went back to my hotel. Again, you can check. The room keys are electronic and I was using pay Wi Fi. I'm sure it will be on my bill. If there's nothing else, I need to fly back to California this afternoon and between getting to the airport and getting through TSA, I need to get going pretty soon."

"I'm sorry," Beckett told her, "this is a homicide investigation and we need to check your alibi. It would be better if you booked a later flight."

"All right," Susan agreed. "I have nothing to hide and if I can do anything to help catch Ellie's killer, I'd be happy to help."

* * *

><p>Beckett filled the murder board in with what they knew so far. "Yo!" Esposito called. "I checked Susan Goldstein's alibi. The hotel confirms that she was in her room last night."<p>

"You going to let her go back to California?" Castle asked.

"I have no reason not to," Beckett told him. "I've got her contact information. If we need anything else from her, I can give her a call."

"Or we could hop on a plane," Castle suggested. "It would be nice to have warm weather for a couple of days."

"Dream on," Beckett answered. "We really need to talk to Mel Rosenblum. He was probably the last one to see Ellie alive."

"Except for the murderer," Castle said."

"Or he is the murderer."

* * *

><p>Mel Rosenblum lived in a shabby studio apartment in Brooklyn. Pill bottles were lined up on the counter of the kitchenette. Treatises on disability rights were stacked on tables and chairs and a cork board was covered with articles on biological warfare experiments conducted by government laboratories. "I'm sorry I couldn't come to you, Rosenblum told them, "sometimes my neurological symptoms kick up and I have a hard time getting around. What's this about?"<p>

"We have some questions about Ellie Konic," Beckett told him.

"What about Ellie?" Mel asked. Is she all right?"

"Mr. Rosenblum," Beckett said gently, "I'm sorry to tell you this, but Ellie Konic is dead."

Mel's face lost all color and he began to stagger. Castle caught him and took Mel to a chair clearing it of papers of papers with a swipe of his arm. Beckett filled a glass of water from the sink and gave it to Mel. "Could you pass me those pills? The bottle on the end?" Mel asked, indicating the vials on the counter. Beckett brought them. Mel downed a couple of pills with water and drew a couple of deep breaths. "I'm sorry, it was a shock. I just saw her last night."

"We know you did," Beckett told him. "That's why we need to talk to you. When was the last time you saw her?"

Mel drew a sleeve across his glistening eyes. "We were outside Fenshel's. She found a parking place right in front. That almost never happens, but she caught someone pulling out. She said she had a quick pick up to make and asked if I wanted to go with her. But I can't walk very far or stand very long so I told her I'd wait in the car. I waited over forty-five minutes and got a neurological headache. Her car is new and it was out-gassing polyvinyl chloride. I couldn't handle it, so I sent her a text, got a cab to the subway and went home."

"So you never saw her after she left the car?" Beckett asked.

"No," Mel answered. "I guess I'll never see her again."

Beckett thanked Rosenblum, gave him her card and she and Castle left.

"Either that man is one heck of an actor or he was in love with Ellie Konic," Castle commented as Beckett drove back to the 12th.

"Or both," Beckett said.

* * *

><p>"Ryan," Beckett called as soon as the elevator doors opened, "I need you to get any video you can from in front of Fenshel's. We need to see what happened at Ellie Konic's car."<p>

"On it," Ryan answered. "I checked the security footage from Fenshel's. Ellie's on it, but no one is with her. There's no video of the changing area. Apparently the store tried to put some in at one point and the customers complained that it invaded their privacy. So the store puts tiny RFID tags on everything and detectors at the door squeal if they're not removed. The security people say the tags are very good for catching shoplifters."

"But not for catching murderers," Beckett commented dryly. "We need to talk to the other dinner guests."

Sam Spersky had not been at the dinner but sent Beckett a digest of recent emails. Castle volunteered his speed reading skills to get through it. He handed Beckett a list of alumni that had confirmed their presence. "You know Beckett," he told her. "There's a lot more in here than who went to dinner. There's all kinds of stuff about people's professions, their problems, and their travels. They were playing a game: 'Where in the world is Jim.' This guy Jim is an ex-marine who speaks six languages and travels all over the world. He's probably CIA."

Beckett smiled and rolled her eyes. "Of course he is."

"Kate, how about a little break?" Castle asked.

"Go ahead," Beckett answered. "You want a coffee?"

"That's not what I had in mind," Castle told her, leading the way to the janitor's closet. Castle looked around, pulled Kate inside and locked the door.

"What brought this on?" Kate asked.

"Do I need a reason?"

Kate's eyes sparkled. "I just wanted to remember for next time."

As their fingers tangled in each others' hair and their lips met, Ryan's voice penetrated the door. "Beckett, I've got something on video."

Castle's breath hissed out in frustration. Kate hastily ran a hand through her hair. "C'mon Castle."

Beckett joined Ryan in the tech room. Castle took a deep breath and followed her. Ryan gave him a knowing look. "Sorry, bro. Didn't mean to cop block you."

Ellie Konic's Mercedes was on the screen, with Mel Rosenblum in the passenger seat. They watched as Mel got out of the car and entered Fenshel's.

"Pick him up," Beckett ordered.

* * *

><p>Sweat glistened on Mel Rosenblum's face as he sat opposite Beckett and Castle in the box. He wiped his brow on a tissue Beckett provided. "You lied to us, Mel," Beckett told him. "You didn't stay in the car until you caught a cab to the subway. We have video of you going into Fenshel's."<p>

"All right," Mel agreed. "I went into Fenshel's. I needed to talk to Ellie."

"Why?" Beckett asked.

"I had some evidence that a bug released from a government laboratory made me sick. Ellie worked as an attorney for a while before she had some medical problems of her own. I wanted her to help me. I asked her on the way to Fenshel's. She said no. I wanted to change her mind."

"But she didn't change her mind, did she?" Castle asked. "She thought you were crazy, and you got so angry that you killed her."

"No!" Mel protested. I couldn't even find her. I left without seeing her. I couldn't kill her, I loved her." Mel's hands covered his face and he wept.

Beckett had Rosenblum taken to holding and called for a psychiatric evaluation.

"Do you think he did it?" Castle asked.

"I don't know," Beckett told him. "I know you love conspiracies, Castle, but he's way out there. Lanie said she found some traces of DNA on the murder weapon. We have Mel's sweaty tissue. I'll have Lanie see if it's a match. But," she purred, taking his hand, "right now, we have some unfinished business to take care of."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"That's new, isn't it?" Castle asked as Kate buttoned her blouse.

"You've seen this blouse before," she told him.

"Not the blouse, the bra. It makes you look - perky. Did you get that shopping with Meredith?"

"Yeah, I needed a couple of new ones and Meredith said she knew a good place."

Castle kissed the soft skin Kate had yet to cover. "Remind me to thank her."

"Is that what got you going at the precinct yesterday, my perkiness?"

"The one you had on yesterday was a different color."

"Different color, same model."

Castle drew Kate to him. "I'll have to buy stock in the company."

Kate's cell phone buzzed from her pocket. Castle groaned. "Not Ryan!"

Kate looked at the picture on the screen."It's Ryan."

Castle took the phone and tossed it on the dresser. "Let it go to voice mail," he whispered and captured her protests with a kiss.

* * *

><p>"Beckett, I tried to call you," Ryan called as Kate came to her desk."<p>

"My phone was charging," Kate told him.

"Right," Ryan said, watching Castle unsuccessfully suppressing a crooked smile. "Mel Rosenblum got really sick and incoherent in holding last night. He's at Bellevue."

"That's probably the right place for him," Castle commented.

"There's one more thing," Ryan continued. "Lanie just texted. The DNA wasn't a match. Mel didn't do it. She said she has more about the victim and she wants to see you."

* * *

><p>"What have you got, Lanie?" Beckett asked as she and Castle approached the autopsy table.<p>

"This was not a well lady," Lanie announced, "but it's something I've never seen. She has some really strange proteins in her brain."

"Like mad cow?" Castle asked.

"A little like that, Castle, but not the same ones."

"What would that have meant?" Kate asked.

"Its not clear exactly what. The stuff was all over the place. She would have had some serious neurological symptoms."

Castle and Beckett looked at each other simultaneously exclaiming, "Like Mel."

"There's more," Lanie told them. "She had some drugs in her system that I've never seen before. From the structure, they might be meant to slow down her disease, but I don't know."

"Lanie," Castle asked, "how long would a disease like this take to show up?"

"I don't have enough information to tell you, Castle. With a disease like this it could be a year or decades. There's no way to tell."

"What are you thinking, Castle?" Beckett asked.

"Just that Ellie and Mel were together in school and they both ended up sick years later. It would be quite a coincidence. Lanie, could you tell if Mel has the same disease?"

Lanie shook her head. "Not without cutting his brain open, Castle."

"Frowned upon with living patients?" Castle quipped, cutting himself short when he received a Lanie look.

* * *

><p>"Maybe Mel's idea about a conspiracy weren't as out there as you thought," Castle speculated as he and Beckett returned to the precinct."<p>

"I'm sure you'd love that to be true, Castle," Beckett replied, "but none of that gets us closer to our killer. We need to talk to more of the people at that dinner and see what they know."

"We could also try Sam Spersky," Castle suggested, "as moderator of the mailing list he may know more about that group than any of the others."

Beckett nodded slowly. "You may have a point." Beckett settled in at her desk. "I'm going to make some phone calls."

"You want a coffee?" Castle asked.

"Yeah, thanks," Beckett responded, picking up the receiver.

Castle could have sworn that he saw Beckett giggling as he returned with two full cups. When she spotted him, she quickly ended the call with "OK, see you then," and hung up the phone.

"Who were you giggling with?" Castle asked.

"I wasn't giggling, Castle," Beckett protested. "I don't giggle."

Castle fixed Kate with an unmoving gaze. "Kate Beckett, you _were _giggling. Who were you talking to?"

Kate sighed. "All right, it was Meredith. We were just planning another shopping date. Don't get upset."

"Upset? After this morning, are you kidding? I'll lend you the Ferrari to shop faster. Just don't let Meredith drive it."

Kate's eyes sparkled above her smile. "Deal."

* * *

><p>Sam Spersky was a banker and an entrepreneur. He made loans by day and ran a company that sold rare automobile parts in his off hours. He spoke to Beckett and Castle at his desk at the bank.<p>

"I'm not sure how I can help you, Detective, I have no idea who killed Ellie."

"Mr. Spersky, can you tell me who had the most communication with her?" Beckett asked.

"Not all communication is on the list. Our members also email privately and I have no control over that, but on the list, Jim Flagg would probably the one with the most postings."

"That's from the game, right?" Castle asked.

"Lately," Spersky confirmed, "but he had a high level of postings even before that. Actually most of the high level posters are people who go to the monthly dinners."

* * *

><p>Jim Flagg was the scariest looking human being Castle had ever seen. He was six six, with the shoulders of a linebacker and dressed in motorcycle leathers. He was also an African-American who had attended Bronx Science at a time when very few African-Americans made the cut. Beckett did not seem to be the least bit intimidated. "Mr Flagg," she asked, "did you attend the mailing list dinner with Ellie Konic?"<p>

"I did," Flagg answered. "I just got back into the country a few days ago and I wanted to see everyone."

"Were you in Egypt?" Castle asked. "I saw the clue about underwater statues."

"Very good, Mr. Castle. The way you pick up on clues, I'm not surprised you write mysteries."

"What were you doing there?" Beckett asked.

"I'm an IT consultant," Flagg answered. "I had some contract work."

"Can you tell us what happened at dinner?" Beckett asked.

"Of course," Flagg answered. He closed his eyes as if visualizing the scene. "There were nine of us, Ellie Konic, Susan Goldstein, Mel Rosenblum, myself, Mike Soomco, Lana Geiger, Shmule Baruch, Lance Silver and Jerry Wise. Ellie and Susan sat together across from Mike and Lana. Then on Ellie's side came Shmule, Lance, and Jerry. I was next to Lana and Mel was next to me. He liked to be able to get up from the table quickly if he needed to go to the men's room or get some air. Ellie, Susan and Lana all ordered salads. Mike had a mushroom burger. I had a steak and fries. Mel just got a small chicken cutlet and some vegetables and he didn't eat much of those. He said he had one of his neurological headaches. He was sweating a lot. Shmule tries to stay as close to kosher as he can, so he had steamed vegetables, Lance and Jerry shared a surf and turf platter. After forty five minutes, Mel moved his chair down the table to talk to Ellie and Susan. He was almost gleaming with sweat but he was smiling. Fifteen minutes later Ellie and Mel left. The rest of us stayed for another twenty minutes and the party broke up."

Beckett and Castle looked at each other. "You have quite a memory, Mr. Flagg," Beckett observed.

"It's useful in my work," Flagg replied. "Anything else you need to know?"

"What was Ellie talking about?" Beckett asked.

"I couldn't hear much of what she said from where I was sitting," Flagg told her, "but mostly she was asking Susan about her family and how her presentation went. She was also bragging a little about her new car."

"Did she talk to Mel much?" Beckett continued.

"No," Flagg answered, "if anything, she seemed to be trying to avoid talking to Mel. I think he moved to try to get her attention, and Susan's."

"Anything else you heard?" Beckett asked.

"Lana was talking about losing her job. Mike didn't look happy about it. They moved in together about six months ago."

"Would that be a financial hardship?" Beckett asked.

"You wouldn't think so, would you?" Flagg said, "but yes. Mike is the scion of Soomco oil company, but his family cut him off when he left petroleum engineering. Mike went back to Bronx Science to teach. His life is unaccustomedly tight right now. I don't think either he or Lana appreciated it when Ellie talked about her new car. I don't think the fur coat Ellie was wearing helped much either. Is there anything else you need, Detective? I have an appointment."

Beckett stood. "Thank you very much Mr. Flagg. I'll call you if I have any more questions."

"Did you see what that guy did?" Castle asked after Flagg left. "He is so a spy! They send him all over the world as a human video camera."

"It could be, Castle, but right now it doesn't matter. Tomorrow I'm going to get Ryan and Esposito to recheck the store security cameras for any of the dinner guests. We'll check out Lana Geiger Mike Soomco. Jealousy over money can be a motive for murder.

"Yeah, Castle agreed, "but not as much fun as a spy."

"Like the fun we had with Sophia Turner and your father?"

"Point taken."

* * *

><p>Castle made sure Kate had gone through two glasses of her special red wine. "What did you and Meredith talk about when you were shopping?" he asked.<p>

"Mostly clothes," Beckett answered.

"What else?" Castle asked.

"She told me she cheated on you. I never knew. When she was here before, she told me you two broke up because you wouldn't open up. I guess she felt since we're going to be married, I deserved the truth. I'm surprised you never told me."

"You never asked me. To just come out with it would have seemed... bitter and petty. Meredith is still Alexis' mother and I don't like to think about her as a cheater. We did have a lot of fun. I like to remember the good times."

Kate put down her wine and straddled Castle's lap. "You know," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck, "that makes me love you even more." The deep red of the wine provided a backdrop as the curve of the shimmering glass reflected the image of their joining.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Lana Geiger didn't mind coming to the precinct. Almost anywhere was better than facing the four walls of the apartment she shared with Mike Soomco, unemployed. She sat with Beckett and Castle in the interrogation lounge. "I didn't know Ellie that well," she said. "We only had one class together in school and she didn't come to the dinners that often. I think she was mostly there to see Susan."

"What did you talk about that night?" Beckett asked.

"I really don't remember," Lana replied. "Small talk, I guess."

"How about her car?" Castle asked.

Lana grimaced. "Oh yeah, the new Mercedes. She was happy about that. Danny, her husband, got it for her for her birthday. Some present! I guess it pays to marry a doctor. Why is that relevant?"

"We're just trying to get a picture of what was going on," Beckett told her. "In a murder investigation you never know what's going to be important. As we understand it, Ellie and Mel were the first to leave the dinner that night."

"That's right," Lana agreed.

"How long afterward did you leave?"

"I don't know," Lana answered, "maybe half an hour."

"Where did you go after dinner?" Beckett continued.

"Do I need an alibi? Lana asked."Mike Soomco and I went home. We live together."

"There's a ten minute discrepancy between the time she says she left and the time Jim Flagg said the party broke up," Castle observed after Lana had been sent on her way.

"That may not mean anything, Castle, Beckett opined, "she didn't say she was sure. I'm more interested in seeing if her story matches Mike Soomco's. Preferably before they have a chance to talk about it."

* * *

><p>Beckett and Castle made the trek from South Manhattan to the Bronx and arrived just before the lunch hour. Mike Soomco talked to them in the teacher's lounge while he ate his lunch. Castle noticed that it was peanut butter and jelly.<p>

"Mr. Soomco," Beckett explained, "We're trying to get an understanding of just what went on before Ellie Konic was killed. Can you take us through the dinner. We've been told that you were sitting near her."

"There isn't much to tell. Ellie was mostly talking to Susan. After awhile Mel came over. Ellie and Mel left together."

"How long after that did everyone else leave?" Beckett asked.

"About twenty minutes," Mike answered.

"Where did you go afterward?"

"I wanted to get a drink before I went home, so I went to a bar with Lance Silver, Jerry Wise, and Jim Flagg."

"How about Lana Geiger?" Castle asked. "weren't you two together?"

"Lana said she was going home. She was there when I got there."

"Someone is lying," Castle said as he and Beckett descended the steps of the school. "My money is on Lana."

"We'll find out, Castle. We should talk to Jim Flagg again, he never mentioned the bar. We still have Shmule Baruch, Lance Silver, and Jerry Wise to clear too."

"Can we have lunch first?" Castle asked. "The smell of peanut butter has me starving."

Beckett smiled. "Yeah, me too."

* * *

><p>Castle bought a pizza which he and Beckett took back to the loft to eat before returning to the precinct. Sitting at the kitchen counter, Kate closed her eyes as she savored her slice. "Where do they get fresh basil this time of year?" she wondered.<p>

"I think they have their own little greenhouse," Castle replied. "You have sauce on your chin."

"Can you get it" Kate asked.

"My pleasure," Castle answered, kissing the thick red liquid away.

"I think you have some too," Kate told him, pressing her lips to his.

The cardboard box was pushed aside, and Kate's stool toppled as Castle drew her against his body. Kate's cell buzzed. "No!" Castle howled in frustration.

Beckett looked at the text. "Ryan found something on the video from Fenshel's."

"That man has the most incredible timing," Castle hissed from behind clenched teeth.

Kate kissed him consolingly. "Just hold that thought," she told him."

"My thoughts are not the problem,"

* * *

><p>"There," Ryan pointed. Lana Geiger appeared on the screen leaving the store. The time stamp was well within the kill zone.<p>

"Bring her in," Beckett said.

This time Lana was in the box, staring at a hard-eyed Beckett. "You lied to us Ms. Geiger," Beckett told her. "You didn't go home with Mike Soomco. You were at Fenshel's the night Ellie Konic was killed."

"I was there," Lana said. "She kept talking about her new car and she was wearing that damn fur. She had everything and I just lost my job. I wanted something. I found this beautiful silk camisole. Would you believe a hundred bucks? I wanted to just slip it in my purse, but it had one of those tags. I ended up just putting it back and leaving."

"Would you be willing to give us a DNA sample?" Beckett asked.

Lana shrugged dejectedly. "Sure, why not."

Lana was consigned to holding until her DNA results came back from CSU. Jim Flagg confirmed that he was at the bar with Lance Silver and Jerry Wise. "The only diner we don't have an after dinner location on is Shmule Baruch," Beckett said. "We might as well talk to him while we're waiting for CSU."

* * *

><p>Shmule Baruch, like his father before him, was a fixture in the diamond district. He met with Beckett and Castle in his shop. "After dinner?" he repeated after Beckett's question. "I went to see 'Robocop.' My wife doesn't like action movies so I figured as long as I was out by myself, I'd go." He pulled out a metal box with scrupulously filed receipts. I paid by credit card. Here's the record," he said, handing Beckett the box office print out. Beckett's eye's scanned the glittering cases longingly as she and Castle left the store.<p>

* * *

><p>After consuming the last of the reheated pizza paired with a Chianti, Kate relaxed, leaning against Castle and a mass of pillows on the couch. "What did you see at Shmule Baruch's shop today?" Castle asked.<p>

"What do you mean?"

"You were looking at something in the case. What was it? Matching earrings for your ring?"

"No" Kate answered.

"Then what?" Castle asked.

Looking into the startling blue of his eyes, Kate framed Castle's face with her hands. "I've developed a real love for sapphires."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Kate stared at the text on her phone in consternation. "You OK?" Castle asked

"Yeah, it's just that the DNA came back for Lana. It's not a match for the what was on the coat belt. She was the only one left from the dinner. We're pretty much out of suspects."

"How about the husband?" Castle asked. "You're always telling me that a third of the time it's the spouse and we don't really know where he was. He could have driven into the city."

"Yeah but how would he have known where she was?" Kate asked.

"Lana said that he was the one who bought Ellie the car." Castle mused. "Maybe he had GPS tracking put into it."

"Strangely, that is possible," Kate agreed. "We can certainly check on it. We should get going. I'm going to grab a shower."

"It would be faster if I grabbed one with you," Castle suggested.

"I doubt it," Kate told him with a skeptical smile, "but c'mon."

Hot water sprayed from opposing nozzles, creating a cloud scented with soap and cherry shampoo. Kate faced the streaming liquid, tilting her head back as aromatic lather flowed from her hair and skin down the drain. Castle breathed deeply, drawing Kate closer as he inhaled. He sipped the droplets of water on the sensitive spot where her neck met her shoulder. Kate turned to face him. "I was afraid of this," she said. "This is not going to be a quick shower."

"Do you want me to stop?" Castle asked.

Smiling, Kate threw her arms around his neck. "Immediately."

* * *

><p>"Are you going to call Danny Konic or are we taking a field trip?" Castle asked.<p>

Kate considered it. "I'd rather go see him. I want to watch his reactions."

The George Washington Bridge was impossible. A lane had been shut down to repair snow damage and the trip to Teaneck took all morning. Finally, Beckett and Castle found Danny Konic at the hospital where he worked. They talked over paper cups of much needed hot coffee in the doctors' lounge. "I am so sorry to have ask you this Dr. Konic," Beckett said, "but we have to investigate all possibilities. Where were you the night your wife was killed?"

"I was here, until about ten," Konic told her. "I had a couple of patients I needed to keep tabs on and I was updating my records. Is there any news on my wife's case?"

"We've had a lot of leads to follow up," Beckett answered. "We're still filling in the blanks."

"If there's nothing else, I really have to go," Konic said, reaching for his now empty coffee cup. Beckett smiled at him. "You go ahead. We'll take care of the trash." As soon as Konic was out the door, Beckett carefully placed his cup in a plastic bag."

"Nice," Castle commented.

'He's hiding something," Beckett said. "I'm not sure what, but there's something he doesn't want us to know. Let's get a list of who was on the night shift at the time of the murder and see if his alibi checks out."

The bridge was better going back and Castle and Beckett delivered Konic's coffee cup to CSU and were at the 12th by early afternoon. Beckett began the tedious job of calling nurses and other staff who were on duty at the time that Danny Konic claimed to have been at the hospital. Some of them were just getting up and needed a minute to think about whether they had seen Konic or not. The patients he was supposed to have seen, were no more helpful, as they were unconscious. As afternoon stretched to evening, Beckett had been unable to find a single person to confirm Konic's alibi, but no one denied it either. They just didn't remember seeing him. Beckett stared grimly at the murder board as Castle gently massaged her shoulders. "Kate, maybe it's time to knock off," Castle suggested.

"Remy's?" Beckett asked.

"I was thinking of more of a distraction," Castle said.

* * *

><p>"A karaoke bar, really Castle?" Kate asked as he ushered her through the door.<p>

"We've done it before," Castle replied, "besides the wings here are to die for. It'll be fun!

The wings really were wonderful and were paired with locally micro-brewed beers. By the time Kate and Castle stepped to the microphones, Kate was relaxed and ready to belt out her song. They sang "Total Eclipse of the Heart," with Kate doing a gritty Bonnie Tyler, hitting a crescendo on "I really need you tonight," and Castle singing "Turn around bright eyes," to back her up. Their number was greeted with enthusiastic cheers and whistles, although it seemed to Castle that whistles from the front tables seemed aimed at much as Kate's figure as her voice. He guided her from the stage with an arm firmly around her waist. They stayed to listen to the other singers, alternating between appreciation and wincing in horror. Finally Kate looked at her father's watch. "It's almost midnight, Castle," she said. "The results on Konic's DNA should be back in the morning. We really should be ready."

Cabs were in short supply and the subway ran infrequently, so despite the chill of the night, they walked back to the loft. Kate shivered as she removed her coat and Castle ran his hands up and down her arms to warm her. "You want me to light a fire?" he asked. Kate nodded.

Tongues of flame flared brightly behind the grate. Castle wrapped a throw from the couch around Kate, securing it with his encircling arms, as they allowed the radiating heat to wash over them. Kate turned toward Castle, snuggling into his chest and tucking her head beneath his chin. They stood, rocking slightly, absorbing the moment as well as the warmth. Castle pressed his lips to the dancing lights that reflected from Kate's hair. She lifted her head, reaching up to caress his face. Castle's large hand wrapped around Kate's slender fingers, bringing her palm to his mouth. Kate stretched upward as she plunged her fingers into Castle's hair. Their lips met, softly at first, but the need soon became unquenchable. Kate was lifted in Castle's strong arms as the song replayed in her head: "I really need you tonight. Forever's gonna start tonight. Forever's gonna start tonight."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The results were in from CSU. Danny Konic was a match for the DNA on the belt. Beckett sent a request to the New Jersey Troopers to bring him in and he sat miserably in the box. Beckett walked in the room accompanied by Castle, opened the case file in front of her, and began the interrogation. "Dr. Konic, we could find absolutely no one who remembered you being at the hospital when your wife was murdered. Your DNA matches what we found on the belt from your wife's coat that was used to strangle her. Why did you kill your wife?"

Danny scrubbed his hands over his face. "I didn't kill my wife. I was at the hospital that night, but I spent most of it in my office. I'm not surprised nobody saw me. As to my DNA being on the belt of my wife's coat, of course it was. I gave her the coat! I've tied it on her many times. That doesn't mean I killed her."

"Why did you have GPS tracking installed in her car?" Castle asked.

Danny sighed heavily, closing his eyes. "Ellie had a degenerative disease. I suspect you know that from the autopsy. I used my own research to do the best I could to slow it down, but it was affecting her cognitive functioning. I put the GPS in her car so I could find her if she got in trouble."

"Dr. Konic," Beckett continued, "we've eliminated our other suspects. If you didn't kill your wife, who did?"

Konic nervously ran his fingers through his hair."This is going to sound crazy and maybe it is. I'm sure you interviewed Mel Rosenblum. He makes no secret of his illness. I've always thought that he was over the top with conspiracy theories, but there may be a grain of truth to what he has been saying. He and Ellie went to school together and had a relationship. At one point they both earned extra money participating in a study with some government and corporate funding. They were told they were being given blood extracts to increase endurance. That is very similar to what some athletes do today. It was supposed to be harmless and nothing happened for decades. Then both Mel and Ellie got sick. Mel was very vocal about it. He was so vocal that he was dismissed as disturbed. He wanted Ellie to be as vocal as he was, but she was going about it a different way. She was investigating quietly, asking for documents through the Freedom of Information Act. She didn't tell Mel because she didn't want to get his hopes up or worse, have him making wild claims to the press. Mel suspected that the government, the university, the corporation involved, or all of them were trying to cover up that the study ever took place. Eliie did suspect that someone might be trying to avoid a class action suit. If there was one, it could have been very expensive."

"Do you think he did it?" Castle asked Beckett after Danny had been taken to holding.

"I don't know, Castle," Beckett answered. "Some of what he told us tracks with what Lanie said about the unidentified drugs in Ellie's system. Those could have come from her husband. But I can't see some shadowy government or corporate assassin killing her in a changing room either."

"I just don't see Danny having a motive. He really seemed to love her. He did say that Ellie was investigating, wouldn't it make sense to look at her computer and emails?" Castle suggested.

Beckett nodded. "You want to make another trip to New Jersey to pick up a computer?"

* * *

><p>Beckett obtained keys from Danny Konic and permission to take whatever they needed, making a search warrant unnecessary. "This is a beautiful house, Beckett commented, "not as grand as your place in the Hamptons, but I can see kids growing up here. Look," she said, running her finger over marks in a doorway, they measured them as they grew up. My mom used to do that with me."<p>

Castle laughed. "Mine didn't. I think she thought if I was growing up, she was growing old."

"I don't know what she was afraid of Castle," Beckett quipped, "you never grew up."

"Point taken," Castle agreed, "but seriously, you want our kids to grow up in a house like this? We could get one."

"I don't think it matters," Beckett told him. "As long as they know we love them - and each other."

Castle drew her tightly into his arms. "I'm sure they'll have no doubt of that."

* * *

><p>Ellie Konic had both a laptop and a desktop computer as well as several drawers of hard copies of files. They filled all of Beckett's trunk as well as her back seat. The computers were delivered to Tori Ellis. Beckett, Castle, Ryan and Esposito sat around the table in the conference room with a generous assortment of Chinese food provided by Castle, slogging their way through the paper files.<p>

After an hour, Esposito stretched noisily. "I'm going to go see what Tori has," he said. He returned quickly. "Yo, you should see this."

"I found a number of emails," Tori told them. "Most of them don't seem to be interesting, but look at these, between Ellie and Jim Flagg. She was asking for his help to get information."

Castle batted his lashes and wiggled an eyebrow at Beckett. "Don't you dare say 'spy,'" she warned. "We'll talk to him again."

* * *

><p>Flagg requested that Beckett and Castle meet him at a local coffee shop. "I really love the muffins here," he said, attacking one with obvious relish. "In answer to your question, yes Ellie did ask me for help. She thought she was being stonewalled and she believed that I have," Flagg paused for a sip of coffee, "connections."<p>

"Do you?" Castle asked.

"None that I can discuss," Flagg answered. "I really wasn't able to help her. What she wanted was not in my area of expertise."

"Which is?" Castle asked.

"I told you before, Mr. Castle, IT. However, there is another Sciencite who was a few years ahead of us that Ellie might have reached out to. She could have made a connection through Susan. Susan dated him for a while. Here." Flagg wrote the name, Burton Wallace on a napkin.

* * *

><p>"I can't get through to Wallace!" Beckett exclaimed in frustration from her desk at the 12th. "I've sent email, left voice mail - nothing!"<p>

Castle looked up from the screen of his phone. "He's a pretty interesting guy. He got his PhD at twenty one, post docs at Princeton, then he disappears off the radar for seven years. He surfaced at the Public Health School at Columbia. We could go to Columbia and look for him. We could visit Alexis."

"Castle, you know how Alexis feels about you dropping in unannounced and I don't even have any idea where his office would be. It's a big campus."

"OK," Castle said thoughtfully. "Flagg said Ellie reached him through Susan Goldstein. You could try that."

Beckett gave Castle a quick impulsive kiss. "I'll call her."

Susan Goldstein agreed to help and asked for a few minutes to send Wallace an email. She quickly called Beckett back and told her that Wallace would meet with her and Castle in his office that evening. Susan was also able to tell Beckett where the office was.

* * *

><p>Wallace was a slight bearded man with startling green eyes and almost continental manners, even though his biography showed him living only in the United States. He sat forward in his chair and gazed at Beckett and Castle with disquieting intensity as he spoke.<p>

"Ellie Konic spoke to me," he confirmed. "I told her that I was aware that research programs such as she described had taken place, but the details were classified."

"Were you privy to classified information?" Castle asked.

"Mr Castle," Wallace told him. I was a civilian employee of the army for seven years. That is a matter of record. Just about everything I did was classified. Sometimes I think what I had for breakfast was classified."

"What was your specialty?" Beckett asked.

When Wallace remained silent, Castle said, "That's classified."

"Let's try this then," Beckett proposed. "What's your research on at Columbia?"

Wallace smiled. "Blood-borne diseases."

* * *

><p>Kate picked at the late night pasta Castle had thrown together. "Too much pepper?" Castle asked.<p>

Kate shook her head. "No, it's perfect. The case is bugging me. All the evidence is against Danny Konic, but he doesn't have a motive. What he told us about Ellie's illness might have something to it, but it leads nowhere."

"In all the stuff we went through, I didn't see any of Ellie's financial information, did you?" Castle asked.

Kate nibbled on her lower lip. "No. We need to look at that."

Castle kissed Kate's lip soothingly. "Tomorrow."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Kate and Castle awoke to a crack of thunder. Kate swiped a forearm across her eyes. "A thunderstorm in February?" she moaned.

"It was freezing yesterday and it's supposed to be fifty today," Castle explained. "Warm fronts bump into cold fronts and cry."

"Thank you Mr. Wizard," Kate retorted pulling a pillow over her head.

Castle pulled the pillow aside. "I like thunderstorms."

"Why?" Kate asked. "Do they stimulate your writer's imagination?"

"No, they stimulate my memory," Castle whispered caressing Kate's cheek. "a storm brought you to me."

Lightning lit the room as their lips met. As the thunder roared, they tossed together. Sheets that would entangle them fell to the floor, as they were enveloped in their own heat. Their joining was in time to the beat of the droplets against the windows, building with the force of the wind. Their joyful cries were swallowed as the storm reached a crescendo, and they lay replete in each others' arms as the sun broke through the clouds.

* * *

><p>Castle brought Beckett fresh coffee as she continued to examine Ellie Konic's financials. He noted the lines forming across her brow. "What have you got?" he asked.<p>

"Ellie had an account at a different bank than where she had her joint accounts with Danny. She made a transfer of a hundred thousand dollars a few days before she was killed."

"Who did it go to?" Castle asked.

"The account is listed to a BBD Research," Beckett answered.

"BBD," Castle mused. "Blood-borne diseases?"

"I don't know," Beckett answered.

"I don't see them on the web," Castle told her, consulting his phone.

"We'll need to get a warrant to get their information from the bank." Beckett told him.

* * *

><p>In the face of the proper paperwork, the bank manager was cooperative. Unfortunately his information was not particularly helpful. The address given for BBD Research turned out to be a building that housed what the sign referred to as executive suites. In fact, it was a glorified mail drop. A receptionist took calls for all the companies that received mail there. The mail itself was either picked up or forwarded.<p>

"BBD has been a client for a years, but I don't know anyone from the company." the receptionist explained to Beckett and Castle. "They set up the account by mail and I forward any mail we receive for them. I've never met anyone involved."

"Has there been much mail?" Castle asked.

"Quite a lot," the receptionist answered.

"Where do you forward it to?" Beckett asked.

The receptionist handed her an address.

The address proved to be of a box at a tiny pack and ship store in Brooklyn. The clerk, who looked appreciatively at Beckett, explained that he was new and really didn't know any of the customers on sight. The address he had on file was the executive suite and payments were made by check from the BBD account. Castle turned to Beckett. "Stake out?" he asked.

Beckett and Castle sat in Beckett's car outside the store. The clerk had agreed to text them if anyone one showed up to get mail from the box. Castle tried to amuse himself with Angry Birds and Candy Crush but soon grew restless. "Kate, you want to go in the backseat and make out?" he asked.

Kate smiled. "I'd love to Castle, but I don't want to write a report for Captain Gates explaining how I missed a text because I was otherwise engaged."

"Speaking of engaged, why don't wear the ring on your finger?" Castle asked. "Our engagement isn't a secret anymore."

"I don't know, Castle," Kate answered. "We were keeping the engagement under wraps for so long, I got used to keeping it around my neck with my mother's ring. It's comforting, like all the love in my life is next to my heart. Does it bother you?"

"Sometimes, like when that clerk leered at you, or when we were singing at the bar, I want people to know you've promised to be with me. Does that bother _you_?" Castle asked.

"Actually," Kate said, brushing the hair off his forehead, "I think it's sweet. And..." Beckett's text alarm beeped.

"Someone's picking up the mail from the box," Beckett reported, opening the car door. "It's a woman!" Beckett peeked in the front window of the store and quickly returned to the car. "It's Lana Geiger."

Lana Geiger came out of the store with an armload of envelopes. She got into a Prius and drove away, with Beckett following just far enough behind to avoid getting spotted. Lana drove back to Manhattan, finally parking at Bellevue Hospital Center. Lana exited her car with Beckett and Castle carefully following on foot, until Lana entered the room of Mel Rosenblum. Beckett watched from the doorway as Lana lay the mail down on a table near the bed of a sleeping Mel.

"Ms. Geiger," Beckett announced, "I'd like you to come with us."

Mel opened his eyes, looking around groggily as if trying to remember where he was. He focused on Beckett. "Leave Lana alone," he said. "All she did was get my mail."

"Fine, Mel," Beckett told him. "Why don't you explain to me what BBD is and why Ellie Konic sent it a hundred thousand dollars."

"All right," Mel agreed. "I might as well tell you while I have some of my mind left to tell you with. BBD is an organization I sent up to get stories from and keep track of the other students who were in the trial with Ellie and me. Nothing out of the ordinary happened to about half of them. I can only assume they were in the control group. But Ellie and I, and the others, we all got sick. No one could identify the disease. We're all losing it. Half the time we can't think straight. Ellie couldn't stand it anymore. She didn't want to put Danny and the kids through her decline. She paid me the hundred thousand to kill her. I passed a little of it on to Lana, to help her out, and she has been helping me by getting my mail and checking on my apartment, but she had no idea about Ellie. Ellie texted me where she'd be in the store and when the coast was clear. We were behind a curtain. It was easy to do. She didn't resist."

"Why wasn't your DNA on the belt?" Castle asked.

"It was cold that night, Mr. Castle, I still had my gloves on. Detective Beckett, if you want to arrest me, go ahead. I don't think they'll let me out of here anyway."

* * *

><p>"Beckett, what's going to happen to Mel Rosenblum?" Castle asked as they cleared the murder board and packed the evidence for storage.<p>

"Euthanasia is illegal, Castle, whether the person gives permission or not. But I don't think Mel will ever go before a jury. He'll probably be deemed incapable of standing trial and stay at Bellevue."

Castle shook his head sadly. "It seems such a shame. Kids in school try to help out a little, maybe earn a little money, and it slowly destroys them."

"We'll turn any evidence Mel gathered over to the D.A.. There may be something to investigate. There really isn't much more we can do."

"Maybe nothing we can do, but perhaps something Jameson Rook can do," Castle told her.

"What do you mean, Castle?"

"He can write an expose about it in the next Nikki Heat novel. I can finish Ellie's research. Maybe she'll rest more peacefully."

Kate smiled and squeezed his hand. "Maybe she will."

* * *

><p>Castle rotated his wine glass between his palms and stared at his unfinished dinner. "Castle, when you're this quiet, it's scary," Kate told him. "Are you OK?"<p>

"Fine." Castle answered.

"Then what is it?" Kate persisted.

"You never finished what you were saying about the ring in the car. Kate are you uncomfortable being engaged to me? Don't you want to wear my ring?"

"Oh Castle no," Kate soothed, holding his face in her hands, "I love being engaged to you and I want to marry you. It's just when I'm on a case, I have to be Detective Beckett. The ring is a distraction. However," she said pulling her chain from under her blouse, "I'll wear it now and I promise you, when we are married, the gold band will be on my hand, always."

Kate handed Castle the ring and he slipped it on her finger. "I have something else for you." Castle told Kate. "I picked it up from Shmule Baruch when you were giving your report to Captain Gates this afternoon." Castle pulled a jewelry case out of the inner pocket of his jacket and opened it for Beckett to see a sparkling sapphire pendant. "I thought you might need something blue to wear at the wedding."

Kate's eyes were wide with wonder and love. "Castle, that is exquisite and I will be ecstatic to wear it when I walk down the aisle but," she said, touching her forehead to his, "I'm gazing into all of the blue I'll ever need."

Finis

A/N Thank you so much for the reviews. I love them! Next time I'll be trying something a little different. I've had Whitney Houston's "One Moment in Time" running around in my head for a couple of weeks, no matter how much I played it on Youtube. I'm going to do a collection of stories to explore the moments in time, or linchpins if you prefer, in various episodes. These will probably not be in order, they will be unrelated, they may be about big or little things, but they will change the direction of the story in an episode. If they don't work out you can always tell me to stop, or I may tell myself to stop. Maybe I'll get Whitney out of my head. Soon, Sally


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